Last week my wife, Pam, told me she had a surprise for me on Thursday and Friday. I didn't think much about it and marked those two days off. Pam has a history of planning fun little overnight trips for us, so I assumed that must be the case.
We got up as usual Thursday morning and went to the gym. Interestingly, there were no bags packed, nothing was in the truck, and she told me just to wear jeans and a t-shirt. We drove to get fuel and stopped for a breakfast burrito. Then Pam told me to drive to the private airport near our home.
When we got to the airport, Pam finally informed me she had planned a four day trip to go hiking in the Grand Tetons outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As I mentioned last week, we put that trip on our dream board in January, but I had decided it wasn't going to happen this year because of timing.
The trip reminded me how great it is to truly Live Every Minute with a wife who understands the importance of the element of surprise. She had managed to plan everything from rental cars and camping sites to river rafting, all without me ever having a clue. She was working to meet my human needs of adventure, variety and surprise. We have an amazing relationship because we are always thinking of ways to meet each other's needs and to make each other fall in love all over again. She has mastered that art!
It was beautiful as we flew over the Rockies at 14,500 feet, admiring the world below. As we came into Jackson, we could see the Tetons in the distance. After a perfect landing, we jumped in our rental car and headed off to find our first stop, Jenny Lake, where we had planned to set-up camp for night one.
Jenny Lake is a gorgeous natural lake made from melting snow. After a delicious dinner at the Cowboy Bar in Jackson, Wyoming, we headed back to our tent for the night. The 32F degree chill in the air was refreshing, as we snuggled in our Kilimanjaro sleeping bags.
In the morning, I cranked up the camp stove and made Pam breakfast. The romantic breakfast by a campfire was the perfect kick start to a day of hiking into the Tetons! Throughout the day we saw beautiful points of nature, including Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon.
Upon entering Cascade Canyon, we spotted a huge bull moose, a cow, and a calf just 100 feet from us down in the river. After watching them for some time, we continued up the canyon, where we found a nice flat rock to use as our table for lunch.
Shortly after lunch, we stopped to hear one of nature’s symphonies: a bull elk calling above us and coyotes howling below. Later that day, while climbing down Signal Mountain, we saw a black bear briefly on the side of the road, and we attempted to follow him down a dirt trail. While we lost the bear, we came across a huge wolf, and a bit later, a bull elk standing on a ridge. He was amazingly majestic.
On Saturday we slept in a little bit, and then I’m proud to say, Pam started her first campfire. We utilized our time on Saturday by visiting Yellowstone National Park. We had lunch at Old Faithful, watched her go off, and then took a hike through Geyser Park.
For our last night, we decided to give up the tent camping and have a romantic evening in a hotel. When we hit the bed that night, we crashed hard, making up a little I think for the two nights spent sleeping on the ground. For some reason, the ground seems to have gotten harder than it was when I was in my 20s - must be global warming.
On our last day, we made our way back to the airport via a scenic drive, hoping for one more sighting. We were not disappointed. We found two bears up in a tree eating berries. It was amazing, and we got some great photos.
We took time to fly over Jenny Lake and right along the Tetons, before heading southeast towards home. The flight is beautiful over the Rockies, and it was a great way to wrap up a surprise weekend that captured the essence of living every minute for me. It reminded me that nature is inspiring. It brought me back home and reminded me of why I love the Rockies. And most importantly, the trip reminded me of how appreciative I am to have a wife as wonderful as Pam.
The next time you think you need a get away vacation, plan your significant other a weekend getaway instead. Don’t tell them what you’re doing. Just tell them to schedule the time off – and surprise them with the time of their life. They will love you for it.
Guess I’d better get planning!!!
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Dr. Tim Reynolds founded Living Every Minute in 2009 to allow him to share his passion for finding success in every minute with others. He dedicates countless hours each week to helping other people change their lives through mentoring, life building, giving inspirational talks and writing for his free weekly newsletter.
Life wasn't always the picture of perfection it is now for Dr. Tim. In fact, he was the first member of his family to graduate high school. He joined the military shortly after graduation, where he graduated from the Special Forces Q-course in July of 1982. He served as a Green Beret medic on an A-Team, as the Battalion medic and eventually as a Special Forces Battalion Surgeon for the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He served both enlisted and as an officer for 17 years.
After getting out of the military, Dr. Tim decided he wanted to go to college to be a doctor. His guidance counselor told him he was too old. He would be 32 before he finished his degree. He told her, "I'm going to be 32 either way." He went on to graduate college with honors.
It was his passion for helping people that inspired him to become a medical doctor, and in 1993 he graduated Summa Cum Laude with an MD degree from the University of Utah. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Texas A&M Scott and White in 1996 and is board certified in emergency medicine. He is the managing partner for HealthCARE Express, a group of urgent care clinics rapidly expanding across the United States.
Prior to starting HealthCARE Express in 2006, Dr. Tim held numerous positions across the medical field, including: medical director of the Wadley Regional Medical Center Emergency Department and level II trauma center; president of E-Med Services, LLP and of E-Med Billing Solutions, LLP; associate clinical professor for the Area Health Education Center at the University of Arkansas; and founding member of the Greater People’s Clinic of Texarkana Board of Directors.
In addition to his medical experience, Dr. Tim is also an entrepreneur and successful businessman. He is currently the chief executive officer of TL Reynolds Properties, LLP, a real estate investment company; and he is a managing partner of JJET Developments Ltd., a real estate development company.
Dr. Tim has served on numerous other committees and boards throughout both the medical and business communities and is published in various journals and publications. He is sought after as a presenter at many national conferences.
In his leisure time, Dr. Tim enjoys spending time on his Ranch in Atlanta, Texas, where he lives with his beautiful wife, Pam, and their five amazing children. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, is a SCUBA rescue diver, and a pilot. He also enjoys body building, golf, and hiking.
Dr. Tim is a world traveler, having visited over 40 countries on six of the seven continents. He is a firm believer in Living Every Minute of life and teaching others to do the same.
Learn more at www.LivingEveryMinute.com